The present invention is a cable assembly, and more particularly a twin axial cable and connector assembly of the type which the Federal Government has designated under the performance requirements UG/1870/U. Such a cable has been in existence for some time and requires a protection cap for mounting thereon when the cable is not interconnected with another cable of similar design.
The known protection caps presently in use for this connector application are metallic caps which have numerous disadvantages. The greatest disadvantage, perhaps, is that the cap has a relatively high cost. The cost results from the required die casting and subsequent machining into a rather complicated final shape. Additionally, if a lanyard is desired to couple the cap to a cable when the cap if not mated to the connector, it must be separatly manufactured from another material and assembled thereon.
The present metallic protection cap also has a disadvantage that it is a relatively heavy part in its weight as a metal part.
The present cap also has the disadvantage that it does not make a positive lock to resist subsequent movement and consequently, the cap may be disassociated with the cable assembly and connector in use through vibration and movement forces which would tend to decouple the connector from the cap.
The present cap also is not impervious to moisture. Moisture has an undesirable effect on the life of a connector and the reliability of circuits which are subsequently made after moisture exposure.
The cap of the prior art has the further disadvantage that the mating of it with the cable requires an axial movement first to partially assemble the cap and connector, followed by an appropriate amount of rotational movement while maintaining axial alignment of the connector with respect to the cap. A failure to provide either the necessary axial movement or a sufficient amount of rotational movement will leave the cap and the connector improperly coupled and susceptible to easily becoming accidentally decoupled.
The foregoing and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art caps for protecting such electrical cables will be apparent in view of the following description of the present invention.